Hannah stopped at the edge of the lake and gazed up at the castle as she had first done six years ago; but this time there was no sense of awe or elation. She felt hollow.

After the day that destroyed her life, she abandoned Hogwarts and went searching for revenge against her mother's killers. All that she knew was that one was a woman and the other a man: both in Lord Voldemort's service.

She travelled over the land in secrecy, aided by a few close friends and relatives. Many feared for her safety and tried to stop her, but the need for justice pulled too strongly, and they had all conceded to her ferocious demands in the end.

Somewhere in her heart, she knew that they only cared too much to see her lose her young life, but this thought was always buried by the rage that consumed her. Hannah knew that her father had been quite alarmed at the change in her; she went from being happy, little Hannah to an ambitious and demanding woman so quickly.

The last time she had seen him she was setting out for a town called Little Hangleton of which she had heard whispers. At this point in her search she found so much more than she bargained for.

Outside an impressive manor a muggle policeman patrolled. Hannah knew that she must be armed with knowledge to face what was waiting. Of course the man would tell her nothing, but she had to know.

This was the point of no return.

It was the first time she had used the Cruciatus Curse or any unforgivable one. She found it most effective, and as the Muggle twitched and gave her all his knowledge in ultimate pain, all she thought was, 'Good. Let them all suffer as my mother did.'

He told her of the death of an old man a few years ago and that there had been reports by various Muggle passers-by of movement. One woman claimed to have seen two men arguing in the darkness.

Hannah found this particularly interesting. She lifted the curse and Obliviated the man's memory. However, she could not have him hanging around during her stakeout, so she Confunded him and sent him home. There was no need for killing. Yet.

From her vantage in the eerie graveyard she could peer into the ground floor windows of the dilapidated mansion. Ignoring the aching hunger, she waited for many hours, daring not to do magic in case she was discovered.

Then a light flickered for a moment inside. It was gone almost instantly, and she was not sure if she had really seen it, but after a few minutes it happened again. She edged closer to the window until she thought she might be able to see the conjuror of the light.

When the light appeared again she had to clap her hand to her mouth to stop herself calling out in surprise. She couldn't believe it.

Even on her clandestine journeys, news had reached her of Dumbledore's death at the hand of her old Potions teacher. The details that she had been given were sketchy, but she was sure that Snape had evaded capture and taken with him an accomplice; a Slytherin student, the same Slytherin student that stood barely ten meters from her, cursing under his breath.

'Lumos.' Hannah heard him whisper. Barely after the flash, Snape's familiar face appeared at the door and he suddenly looked so furious that she ducked down under the window to listen without being seen.

'Draco, what do you think you're doing? I said no magic. Is it your aspiration to get us caught by the wrong people?' Draco scoffed.

'You don't make the rules anymore, Severus.' He said the older man's name spitefully, not sounding quite himself.

Hannah couldn't bear to stay put. She glanced up over the window ledge to observe as Snape pulled Draco's wand out of his hand. 'I do if you want to stay alive.' Draco pouted childishly behind Snape's back as he continued speaking.

'They'll be here any minute. You are not to say a word, not even to your father. The Dark Lord may yet have a use for you that doesn't involve a painful death, although I doubt it.' Draco blanched.

Hannah sank back down into the bushes. Death Eaters were coming now. Today was finally the day that she would have her audience with Lord Voldemort and his wretched band of murderous servants.

A sudden wave of doubt swept over her. What if she died? This didn't bother her much as long as she took some Death Eaters to her grave with her. What worried her more was if she would be able to perform the Killing Curse.

She pushed these thoughts out of her mind as a dark silence fell. Three masked men Apparated with a crack by the door of the manor and knocked solemnly. Snape answered with Draco at his side, and they were beckoned out into the open night.

'You are to come with us so that the Dark Lord may thank you in person.' The Death Eater pointed at Draco. 'That will come too. We have a Portkey ready.' As they moved away from the house, Hannah scolded herself.

The only way to follow was to take hold of their Portkey. She pulled out her mother's wand and crept from her hiding place to the clearing in which they stood. Timing was paramount; if she went too early they would kill her, and if she went too late they would be gone.

The five men took up their positions around the rusty kettle, and Hannah counted to two before vaulting over the grave separating them and grasping the handle of the kettle firmly. One of the Death Eaters had time to give her a surprised expression but none were fast enough to act.

A few moments later Hannah felt her feet touch solid ground. She was surrounded by Lord Voldemort's supporters and barely three strides away from the man himself. They all had their wands pointed at her, but she stared firmly into the eyes of the one who had ordered her mother's death.

He held up his hand and murmured voices were immediately hushed.

'Take her wand.' He hissed.

Before she could react, the Death Eater to the right of Lord Voldemort shouted, 'Expelliarmus!' And the wand she was holding flew over to the other side of the room.

Hannah completely understood that she would now probably be tortured and killed, but first she was going to do what she set out to do. She held her gaze with Lord Voldemort defiantly. 'What is your name, child?' He asked.

'Hannah Abbott.' She replied, taking note of the whispers exchanged by several onlookers.

He nodded slowly 'Well, Miss Abbott, I have other matters to deal with at this time. MacNair, Goyle, restrain her.' Two hands gripped her arms roughly, but she was being given more freedom than she'd expected.

Lord Voldemort held his hand out to Snape who bowed low and kissed it. 'You have done well, my faithful one.' He whispered. Hannah was disgusted to see that Snape looked grateful.

'My Lord, the boy was foolish in certain matters, but he did get your servants access to Hogwarts.' Lord Voldemort's red eyes flicked to Draco who had gone deathly pale and seemed to shrivel under the stare.

Hannah was suddenly infuriated with her peer, and though she knew she would pay dearly for it, she could not hold her tongue. 'You coward, Malfoy, decide what side you're on! If you'd killed him at the start you could have saved my mother and so many others.'

Some of the Death Eaters laughed. A woman to the left of Lord Voldemort that Hannah guessed must have been Bellatrix Lestrange said,

'And I suppose you think you can destroy our great Lord?'

Hannah glanced about the room. She couldn't see any other female Death Eaters, and so, surmised that Lestrange must have been one of her mother's killers.

'No,' she replied, 'I'm just a girl. But I'm a girl with a grudge and you took something from me. It seems only fair that I should return the favour.' At this she pulled her arm free and took her second wand from the back of her robes.

'Avada Kedavra!' Hannah shouted, full of hate, and a jet of green light shot from her wand, hitting Lestrange squarely in the chest.

It was a moment before anyone realised what had happened.

When the Death Eaters saw the lifeless body of their colleague they all drew their wands against Hannah once more. But she just threw down her own and laughed. The puzzled faces about her only served to humour her more.

'Why do you laugh?' The man to the right of Lord Voldemort demanded. 'Because you can't take away what I feel right now. You know that that could have been any one of you. You're all cowards: All weak except for your great Lord.'

Lord Voldemort laughed. 'You understand that you will never leave this place?' He asked.

Hannah nodded.

'Wrong! Oh, my dear friends will want to be compensated for the loss of Bellatrix but you shall live.' Hannah didn't care either way. She had no way of knowing who her mother's other killer was and nothing else really mattered to her.

'As it happens your unlikely presence could be the key to our victory.' Suddenly he pointed his wand at Draco and yelled, 'Crucio.' She didn't feel sympathy; she even found that it brought a smile to her lips. Lord Voldemort lifted the curse and locked his cunning gaze on her. 'Potential.' He said softly.

'I want a spy inside Hogwarts. Malfoy has disappointed me but I am merciful and shall grant him another chance.' Draco forced his shaking to stop so that he could listen. 'He will return to the school claiming to have been under the Imperius curse but many will not believe his story.'

Hannah shook her head slowly. 'You want me to masquerade as well. Why should I betray the people that love me?'

Lord Voldemort's eyes sparkled gently in the low lighting. 'Because,' he said, 'I can tell you the name of the man who killed your mother. In fact, I can give him to you if you please me.'

A thousand thoughts rushed through her mind. It wouldn't be like she was doing any damage if they were already going to have Draco as a spy. She'd be able to take her time with the man who killed her mother instead of giving him a quick death like Bellatrix.

Hannah nodded. 'I will do what you want, but I want you to make an Unbreakable Vow with me that I can kill the man who murdered my mum and that you won't give the order to terminate my life until then.' She thought that he would refuse such a demand.

However, the Dark Lord simply reached out to her. She took the cool hand into her own and listened with rapt attention as he made the vow she'd asked. When it was done he pushed her robe's sleeve up, so that her arm was bare, and put the tip of his wand to it. After a moment's pain Hannah looked down to see the black serpent.

She laughed again. The Dark Mark was a symbol that the Dark Lord would keep his promise, and she would enjoy her vengeance in time. Until then she would have to be the old Hannah, the perky little prefect. She hated the thought.

The Dark Lord explained his plans briefly to her and Draco, and though she knew he omitted that which he did not wish to share, she would do as he asked. 'Now, young Malfoy shall report to you, Miss Abbott, and you in turn shall report to me.'

The man to the right of the Dark Lord coughed accidentally and whispered, 'My Lord, is it wise to give her seniority here? She is not a Death Eater, and she killed Bella.'

The Dark Lord's voice remained calm, but Hannah knew to question him was unthinkable. 'Lucius, she bears my symbol. She is a Death Eater. Your son has failed me and so he will defer to Miss Abbott, whom I trust will not do the same, on all things. Do you understand?'

Lucius sank to his knee. 'Yes, my Lord. I am sorry.'

Hannah almost laughed. The only way Mr Malfoy would be sorry was if the Dark Lord had a wand pointed at him.

'But you are right that she did kill poor Bellatrix, and for that she must pay. You may have her for now, but do not kill her. Leave! Severus and I have much to discuss.'

Hannah swallowed hard and braced herself as she and Draco were dragged through to another room, then beaten and cursed until they could hardly move. Hannah finally slipped into unconsciousness, smiling at the fact that she was no longer alone in her pain.

When she awoke she was healed and it was almost time to leave for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the place that she had once called her home.